1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to media delivery and more specifically to optimizing media encoder selection based on network conditions.
2. Introduction
Many variables come in to play when streaming media, particularly video media, over a network from a media source to a media playback client. One main variable is network quality, which is, in fact, a collection of different variables. For example, inconsistent bit rates, jitter, latency, packets arriving out of order, and other Quality of Service parameters can wreak havoc on the client's ability to play back media in a high quality, smooth, pleasing manner.
In existing media streaming approaches, a media provider uses a media encoder corresponding to a media decoder at a client. The media provider and the client negotiate, such as in a handshake, to determine approximate network conditions and an expected baseline of network quality. If the network conditions change (i.e. deteriorate or improve), the media provider changes parameters of the encoder to respond to the changes, such as lowering the bitrate of the media streamed from the media provider to the client. These changed parameters can negatively impact the video playback quality at the client, introducing video compression artifacts. Further, network conditions can degrade so far that the client is unable to display any meaningful image. As more and larger types of media are streamed over packet-switched networks, such as streaming HDTV broadcasts, these problems become more pronounced.